Progressive MAC address learning
First Claim
1. A switch, comprising:
- a storage device configured to store a first forwarding data structure, wherein a respective entry in the first forwarding data structure includes a first media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the first MAC address;
hardware management circuitry configured to determine whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch; and
layer-2 management circuitry configured to;
in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identify a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure; and
create a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry; and
determine a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch in a network of interconnected switches. The switch includes a storage device, a hardware management apparatus, and a layer-2 management apparatus. The storage device stores a forwarding table, which includes an entry comprising a MAC address and an egress port for the MAC address. The hardware management apparatus determines whether a destination MAC address of a frame is present in a hardware table in memory of the switch. The layer-2 management apparatus, in response to a determination that the destination MAC address is not present in the hardware table, looks up a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the forwarding table, and creates a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the hardware table based on the first entry.
593 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A switch, comprising:
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a storage device configured to store a first forwarding data structure, wherein a respective entry in the first forwarding data structure includes a first media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the first MAC address; hardware management circuitry configured to determine whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch; and layer-2 management circuitry configured to; in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identify a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure; and create a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry; and determine a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21)
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10. A computer-executable method, comprising:
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storing a first forwarding data structure in a storage device of a switch, wherein a respective entry in the first forwarding data structure includes a media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the first MAC address; determining whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch; in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identifying a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure; creating a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry; and determining a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computing system, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising; storing a forwarding data structure in a storage device of a switch, wherein a respective entry in the forwarding data structure includes a media access control (MAC) address and an egress port for the MAC address; determining whether a destination MAC address of a data frame is present in a second forwarding data structure in a content-addressable memory of the switch; in response to determining that the destination MAC address is not present in the second forwarding data structure, identifying a first entry comprising the destination MAC address in the first forwarding data structure; and creating a second entry comprising the destination MAC address in the second forwarding data structure based on the first entry; and determining a first egress port for the data frame based on the second entry in the second forwarding data structure.
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Specification